Jonathan Woodgate's introduction to management has been a tough one, with his Middlesbrough side down in the relegation zone after 14 games.
When he arrived at the club in the summer, the 39-year-old said he wanted to bring attacking football back to the Riverside and up until this point he has failed to do that.
Boro are the lowest scorers in the Championship, having added just 11 goals in 14 games, and are currently on course to score just 36 goals–13 less than the side did last season under Tony Pulis.
[freshpress-poll ]
It appears Woodgate may be assessing some additions that could help him change that in January, as teamtalk has reported that Boro are one of a number of sides interested in Aberdeen striker Sam Cosgrove.
The report suggests that Boro face competition from Derby County, Brentford and Charlton Athletic for the 22-year-old.
With that in mind, we have outlined two pros and twos cons of the North East club securing a deal for Cosgrove in January.
Pro: He has been prolific for Aberdeen.
Cosgrove has been fantastic for Derek McInnes' side this season–scoring 15 goals in 17 appearances in all competitions–and has picked up from where he left off in the 2018/19 campaign.
The striker joined the club in January 2018 but broke through into the first-team last season–scoring 16 times for Aberdeen.
If he can translate that form into the Championship, he could be a fantastic addition for Boro.
Pro: He fits Woodgate's transfer strategy so far.
In the summer, Middlesbrough's transfer strategy under Woodgate emerged quite clearly. Three of the four signings the new boss brought in were aged 22 or under, and all four were for relatively low fees–suggesting his focus was on looking for value for money and building a young nucleus of players.
Cosgrove appears to hit both those criteria. The Aberdeen striker is 22 years old and is understood to cost around £2 million, so he looks like a signing that would fit their transfer strategy perfectly.
Cons: He lacks Championship experience.
There is no denying that Cosgrove has been prolific for Aberbeen, scoring 36 goals in 67 appearances in total, but adjusting to the Championship is no easy feat and there is certainly no guarantee he can hit the ground running.
Boro appear to need someone who can have an almost instant impact, given their current situation, and you'd question if the 22-year-old is that man.
Cons: His record prior to Aberdeen is poor.
The English striker has been hugely impressive for the Scottish club but there has to be a concern about his record before he joined the club.
Prior to joining Aberdeen, he had scored just once in his professional career and struggled to make much of an impact in spells at Carlisle United in League Two, and with National League sides North Ferriby United and Barrow.